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Cliff Smalls
Cliff Smalls (born Clifton ArnoldThe Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz: Leonard Feather, Ira Gitler), 3 March 1918, died 2008, was an American jazz trombonist, pianist, conductor and arranger. He worked in jazz, soul and rhythm & blues genres.Charleston Jazz Initiative "Smalls, 'Cliff' Clifton," http://www.charlestonjazz.net/smalls-cliff/Eugene Chadbourne, Allmusic biography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cliff-smalls-p126106/biography Smalls was raised in Charleston, South Carolina.Eugene Chadbourne, Allmusic biography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cliff-smalls-p126106/biography His father, a carpenter, performed piano and organ for Charleston's Central Baptist Church. He taught Smalls classical music at an early age.Charleston Jazz Initiative "Smalls, 'Cliff' Clifton," http://www.charlestonjazz.net/smalls-cliff/ Jazz, early years of Bebop Smalls left Charleston with the Carolina Cotton PickersThe Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz: Leonard Feather, Ira GitlerSmalls also recorded with them, for instance 'Off and on Blues' and 'Deed I Do' (arranged by Smalls and also featuring Cat Anderson) in 1937, so when Smalls was 19 but his career coincided with the early years of Bebop. From 1942 to 1946 he was a trombonist, arranger and also backup piano-player for band-leader and pianist, Earl Hines, alongside Dizzie Gillespie and Charlie Parker, also then in the Hines band which often broadcast 7 nights a week on open mikes coast-to-coast across America.Eugene Chadbourne, Allmusic biography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cliff-smalls-p126106/biographysee 'Earl Hines' article in Wikipedia Hines also used Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy and Nat "King" Cole as backup piano-players but Smalls was his favourite.see 'Earl Hines' article in Wikipedia Smalls also played in the Jimmie Lunceford and Erskine Hawkins bands.Charleston Jazz Initiative "Smalls, 'Cliff' Clifton," http://www.charlestonjazz.net/smalls-cliff/ Singers, popular direction, return to jazz roots After the inevitable post-World War ll break-up of the Hines big-bandsee Earl Hines on Wikipedia Smalls went on to play and record in smaller ensembles with his former Earl Hines band colleagues, singer and band-leader Billy Eckstine, trombonist Bennie Green, saxophonist Earl Bostic and singer Sarah Vaughan. In 1949 he recorded with JJ Johnson and Charlie Rouse.Early Bones, Prestige 24067 Smalls was the pianist on Earl Bostic's 1950 hit 'Flamingo' with [[John Coltrane]] but had a serious automobile accident, with Earl Bostic, in 1951'Bandleader Earl Bostic made a $14,000 out-of-court settlement on a suit that his ex-piano player, Cliff Smalls, filed against him for injuries sustained in an auto accident four years ago": Jet magazine 7 Nov 1957 "... so I laid in bed all of 1952, til March of 1953".The Jazz Artist, Vol lll No 1 1999: interview with Sue Terry Recovering, Smalls shifted his musical career to serve as music director/arranger for singers: Eartha Kitt, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis, Jr., Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Clyde McPhatter, Roy Hamilton and Brook Benton but Smalls never abandoned jazz. He recorded 'Bennie Green with Art Farmer'with Bennie Green, Art Farmer and Philly Joe Jones New Jersey April 13, 1956 in 1956 and was, for many years, a regular with Sy Oliver's nine-piece "Little Big-Band" including, from 1974-1984, a regular stint in New York's Rainbow Room.Charleston Jazz Initiative "Smalls, 'Cliff' Clifton," http://www.charlestonjazz.net/smalls-cliff/Eugene Chadbourne, Allmusic biography http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cliff-smalls-p126106/biographyNew York Times: Sy Oliver obituary May 28, 1988 In the 1970s Smalls returned to jazz-recording, including 4 solo tracks for The Complete Master Jazz Piano SeriesMosaic MR6 140 in 1970, with Sy Oliver in 1973,'Yes Indeed' Black & Blue NIG-48404 'Texas Twister' with Buddy Tate in 1975, 'Swing and Things' in 1976By the Cliff Smalls Septet Swaggie Records/'The Jazz Makers' & also Master Jazz MJR8131 and 'Caravan' in France in 1978.The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions with Leonard Gaskin & Oliver Jackson BB 935-2 In 1980 Smalls featured playing piano in The Cotton Club, a crime-drama directed by Francis Ford Coppola. He spent his later years in Brooklyn, New York.Jack McCray, "For a Jazz Pianist, Jones Really Fiddles," The Post and Courier - May 29, 2006 Notes Category:Pianists